The Nod: A Subtle Lowering of the Head You Give to Another Black Person in an Overwhelmingly White Place

By Musa Okwonga
Illustration by Daniel Zender

If you’re a black person who has ever visited a place where there aren’t many other black people, then you will be familiar with The Nod. The Nod is just that: An almost imperceptible lowering of the head toward any…